Briar Woods Graduate Cory Colder Commits to DI East Tennessee State

(January 26, 2014) – Briar Woods High School graduate Cory Colder has committed to join head coach Carl Torbush and the rest of the East Tennessee State football program to continue his football career beginning in the 2014-2015 academic year.

After winning back-to-back-to-back state championships and going 44-1 with Briar Woods, graduate Cory Colder attended a college prep school in Great Barrington, Mass. The year of prep did Colder well as he has committed to attend Division I East Tennessee State in the fall. Photo by Chas Sumser.

Following his senior season for the Falcons in 2012, Colder enrolled at East Coast Prep School in Great Barrington, Massachusetts: a post-high school graduate school where student-athletes get one semester to hone in on their athletic and academic skills.

“This is easily the most humbling experience of my life. Nothing has come easy throughout the recruiting process for me,” said the 5-foot-8, 205-pound Colder. “A lot of college coaches said I was too small to play for them, I wasn’t fast enough. I ended up having to attend prep school to get a little more exposure. This didn’t come easy for me at all, and I’m so grateful for the chance coach Torbush has given me.”

East Tennessee State Football

Colder was first attracted to ETSU because of Torbush’s plan to redshirt all incoming athletes in the 2014 season. This means Colder will have to opportunity to earn both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees before his athletic eligibility is up in 2018.

“The thought of starting something new really intrigued me,” Colder said. “When I visited campus, the students were very excited about the football program coming back, and I know there’s going to be a lot of enthusiasm on campus.”

In 2003, East Tennessee State decided to discontinue their football program. Last January, the school’s student government voted to levy a $125 fee to all students in order to raise enough money to reinstate the football program.

Following approvals from the university and the Tennessee Board of Regents, the athletic department at East Tennessee State hired Carl Torbush to be the Division I Buccaneer’s head coach and from there Colder landed at the Johnson City, Tennessee school.

“I will add winning experience. Being on a three time state championship teams really helps with that,” said Colder who will play running back for the Buccaneers. “I have played against college competition at East Coast Prep this past year so I’m used to playing against college competition. I know I’m not the biggest, fastest or strongest, but I stick to playing my style of football and nothing else. I try my best to let the game come to me.”

Colder at Briar Woods

While at Briar Woods, Colder played for the varsity football team during his sophomore, junior and senior seasons. In all three of those seasons, the Falcons won state championships.

“I couldn’t have asked for anything else. Just one would be satisfying enough, but three championships, that’s unbelievable,” Colder reminisced. “Coach Pierce and his staff at Briar Woods do a great job at preparing players for the next level. We had very, fast-paced, no-nonsense practices: college level practices.

“Even with our win streak, we took it one game at a time and kept focus on the next team we faced. The offensive plays are just as complex as most college schemes,” Colder said. “Nobody can prepare a team better than coach Pierce. There was not a game in my high school career where I felt ill prepared going into a game. I had a wonderful experience at Briar Woods.”

A three-time VHSL state champion, Briar Woods graduate Cory Colder will help ETSU head coach Carl Torbush start the Buccaneers program in 2015. At a young age, Colder’s father got him started playing the game he loves to this day. Photo by Joel Wolcott.

Colder’s father serves as influence

Born in Flower Mound, Texas, Colder said he had no choice but to play football and thus put on his pads and laced up his cleats to start playing at just 5-years old.

“People in Texas eat, sleep and drink football,” Colder said. “My dad was my youth league coach until I was playing in middle school. He started me out at running back. I’ve played it ever since.”

Colder sold himself as a “fierce competitor” and said the teamwork derived from the competitiveness of the game keeps him motivated.

“I enjoy the challenge football gives me and the weekly grind leading up to the game,” Colder said. “Football involves everyone to be on the same page. Everybody has to know their role and stick to it and most importantly stick together. I love that. I will do whatever it takes to help my team win.”